For Jessica Williams, Corporate Secretary at Sydney Anglican Property (SAP), good governance isn’t just about rules and paperwork—it’s about ensuring that gospel work is well-supported, wisely stewarded, and faithfully sustained for generations to come.
With a background in corporate mergers, acquisitions, and strategy, Jess spent years working across industries, helping businesses navigate complex challenges. But after moving back to Sydney, she felt the pull to invest her skills in something different. A conversation with Scott Lincoln (Senior Manager – Parish Property Services), led her to SAP, where she now works as the Corporate Secretary, ensuring that the organisation’s important work is supported to a high standard.
Jess describes her career journey as anything but linear—working in innovation, launching new business services, and navigating high-stakes deals—yet in hindsight, she sees how God was shaping her for this role. “I always hoped I’d gain experience in the corporate world and bring it back to serve the church,” she reflects. “But it wasn’t my precision planning—God was at work in every step.”
Now, in her role at SAP, Jess ensures that governance structures don’t hinder ministry but instead help churches and leaders make wise, mission-focused decisions.
Governance has a purpose
Governance might seem like a dry, bureaucratic function, but Jess sees it as something much greater—a tool for stewarding God’s work well.
Reflecting on her convictions about governance as a Christian, Jess has been struck by how God intentionally gifted certain people in Israel’s history—craftsmen, builders, and artisans—for the work of constructing the tabernacle. “We’re obviously not building a tabernacle,” she laughs, “but in the same way, God hasn’t randomly sprinkled gifts among us for no reason. He’s brought us together at this moment in time, with different strengths, to build up his church.”
For Jess, governance is not about rules for the sake of rules, instead ensuring that processes serve the mission, rather than hinder it. “Too often, governance is seen as red tape—something that slows us down,” she says. “But it should actually help us channel our efforts toward our mission, keeping us accountable to each other, the churches and communities we serve, and ultimately, to God.”
At SAP, this means supporting the board, churches, and teams so that their work is effective and purposeful. It means ensuring that processes don’t become unnecessary roadblocks but practical tools that support wise decision-making. In short, governance at SAP isn’t about control—it’s about stewardship, ultimately helping parishes faithfully and effectively serve their communities in the name of Christ.
Governance is gospel partnership
Governance can sometimes be viewed as an obstacle—an extra layer of complexity that makes ministry harder. But Jess believes it is essential for ensuring faithfulness in gospel work.
“What I would like churches to see when they look at SAP is a group who are accountable and who are doing their best to be faithful in the way that we serve,” she explains. “Faithful stewards of the resources God’s given, but also faithful stewards of the trust that parishes have put in us.”
Governance, when done well, is not a hindrance but a safeguard. “Governance is meant to be keeping us and propelling us on track, not slowing us down,” Jess says. “It’s not a handbrake—it’s a steering wheel. Or maybe, like in ten-pin bowling, it’s having the bumpers up.”
This same principle applies at the parish level, where parish councils and ministry leaders make decisions that impact both their current congregation and future generations. “We’re always talking about not just the people of our congregation now, but future generations,” she shares. “Loving one another and loving all of Christ’s church, even those yet to be born—that’s the core of why we do what we do.”
Governance is a shared responsibility
Governance in the church is not a solo effort. “We’re all partners in the gospel,” Jess says. “And I think that’s the most important thing for us to remember. Governance should be helping us to be faithful partners for each other.”
That partnership means churches should not hesitate to seek help when needed. “Given we’re in partnership, we should be open to asking each other for help, for advice, and for serving each other,” she encourages. “Whether that’s within a parish council, within a congregation, or reaching out to SAP for support. We should be acting in partnership and not be reluctant to do that.”
Ultimately, governance in the church is not about compliance for its own sake, but about remaining faithful to Christ and his mission. “At the core of governance is always going to be God’s Word and prayer,” Jess reminds us. “Sometimes we can get lost in governance for the sake of governance. But actually, we’ve got a really steady, fixed purpose. A really steady, fixed set of values. And that’s why we govern ourselves—because we want to make sure we’re on purpose and biblically consistent.”
Governance serves
Good governance is not about bureaucracy—it is about ensuring that churches can continue their mission with wisdom, integrity, and accountability. Through SAP’s work, Jess and the rest of the SAP team seek to enable and strengthen gospel ministry, ensuring that churches can be faithful stewards of the resources and opportunities entrusted to them.
As churches navigate the complexities of leadership and administration, Jess encourages them to embrace governance as a tool for faithfulness. “Ultimately, governance is not just about structure—it’s about serving Christ and his church well,” she says. “And that’s worth doing with care, wisdom, and prayer.”
Jess has also outlined her top tips for writing great board papers. If you’re someone who regularly needs to write reports for a board, or even if you serve on a parish council that could do with some more structured input, take a look!